Bicycle



(No Model.)

0. P. WATKINS. BICYCLE.

No. 417,655. Patented Dec. 17, 1889.

u, PETER5, vnamum 'n rw. Waxhing on. ov a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE; I

' CHARLES E. WATKINS, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

BICYCLE.

Application filed November 1, 1889. Serial No. 328,912. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. \VATKINS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of. New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycles; and thefollowing is a description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to letters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates more particularly-to the steering-fork of thesafety-bicycle and its application to the guiding-wheel.

'My object is to greatly relieve the jarring sensation to the rider whenthe wheel moves over obstacles; also,'to provide a desirable andaccommodating movement forward or backward in the position of thesteering-fork, and at the same time a firm device for turning theguiding-wheel, and to accomplish these things in a simple, practical,and desirable way.

In the drawing a repetition of the same letter indicates the same pieceof mechanism, and any special portion of the same piece is noted'bynumbering its letter.

The figure shows a portion of the bicycle at its left side with myimprovements.

The lower portion of the left prong of the steering-fork is shown at A AA and at G is the axle of the guiding-wheel of the bicycle, to which thetriangular frame 13 B B B B is attached at B. The frame at B is slippedonto the extended end of the axle G and suitably held there by means ofa nut, or may be otherwise suitably attached at the axis in a mannerfirm enough for guiding the wheel. It is not necessary to show the otherprong of the steering-fork, as the two sides are alike. Theheel-extension A of the prong is pivoted to work in the socket of theframe at B in any suitable way, while its extension-toe A may be held towork or slide in the groove of the frame at B The groove B 'is adaptedto allow the toe A of the prong A to move therein as far as maybedesirable for the steering-fork, and no farther.

The spiral spring 0, at one of. its ends, is held by the flange-piece D,which piece is pivoted to the frame at B The tongue-piece E is pivotedto the toe A of the prong A.

This tongue is threaded and has on it the flanged nut F, which holds theother end of said spiral spring, the tongue E extending within the coilof the spring twoinches more or less. This spring is adapted to push thetoe A outward to a stop in the. groove 13 with a force desirable forholding the steering-fork in a backward position, and yet the action ofthe spring is to be sufficientlyyielding to allow the upper part of thefork to have a forward movement either at the will of the rider, when hepresses the steering device forward, or as the wheel is raised by movingover some obstruction suddenly. The degree of the springs pressure uponthe toe A may be changed by turning the adj ustingnut F. Thespring-holderD and the tonguepiece E should be pivoted and adapted tohave just enough rocking movement to accommodate the spiral spring inits action. The spiral spring may be four inches in length, more orless.

Instead of having the groove B in the frame, a groove formed in the toeA for the toe to straddle the frame could be used. What I have calledthe axle G maybe regarded as axle or journal of the guiding-wheel of thebicycle.

WVhat I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. In a bicycle, the combination, with each prong of the fork of thesteering device, as at A, one of the prongs, of the frame B, suitablyattached to work on the axle G of the guiding-wheel of the bicycle, theheel-extension A of said prong, the toe-extension A adapted to slide orwork as in the groove 13 of the frame 13, the spiral spring 0, thespringholder D, pivoted to the frame 13, the threaded tongue-piece E,pivoted to the toe A and having the flanged nut F, for holding and adjusting the spring C, and the heel A working upon a suitable bearing inthe frame 13 all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a safety-bicycle, a spiral spring 0, in combination with anadjusting-nut F and other parts of the steering device adapted toproduce the action of the said spring upon the prongs A of the fork andto allow the springs force to be regulated more or less, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

3. In the steering-fork of a bicycle, the

frame B, fastened to the axle G at B, and the prong A, having the heelA, pivoted to work in the frame at B and the toe-extension A adapted toslide in the groove B or otherwise held to work on said portion of theframe, and the spiral spring suitably attached to said toe A and to theframe 13", said spring being between the wheels, axle G, and theheel-bearing at B all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In the steering-fork of a bicycle, the combination of the spiralspring 0, the tongue E, pivoted to the toe A of the prong A of the fork,the adjustable nut F, the spring-holder D, pivoted to the frame B, andthe said spring being located to operate between the bearing of theframe B on the axle (or journal) G and the heel A of the prong of thesteering-fork, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a bicycle, theeombination, with each prong of the fork of thesteering device, as at A, one of the prongs, of the frame B 3 3 B 3,suitably attached and held at or on the axle G of the guiding-wheel andadapted to receive and work with the heel A of the prong A, as at B andto hold the toe A in the groove B or in any equivalent way, and thespring C, held to the frame at B in the holder D, while its opposite endis suitably attached to the toe A of the prong A, all substantially asand for the purposes set forth.

6. In a steering-fork of a bicycle, the prong A, having the heel A andthe toe A in combination with the frame B B B B B", the wheels axle G,and the spiral spring 0, the said spring being held to the frame at 13*and its opposite end held to bear on the toe A of the prong A, and thetoe held to work 011 the frame at 13 the heel A suitably pivoted to workon the frame at B", and the frame at B attached or held 011 the wheelsaxle at G, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. The combination of the 0XtGl'lSl0llllGGl A, the toe-extension A onthe lower end of each of the two prongs of the steering-fork of thesafety-bicycle, with the frame B, fastened or hearing at or on an axleor journal G of the guiding-wheel, and the heel-bearing pivoted at B tothe heel of the prong A, and the toe of the prong A held and working atthe groove B under pressure of the spring 0, all substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

8. In combination with the axle of the guiding-wheel of asafety-bicycle, the frame B l B B 13 the prong A, having the heel A andthe toe A said heel being pivoted to the frame at B and the toe adaptedto be held and to slide on the frame at B and the spiral spring C,suitably attached or connected to the frame at ll" and to the toe A ofthe prong A, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

CHARLES F. WATKINS.

Witnesses:

CHARLES K. RoBINsoN, CHARLES R. EDWARDS.

